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max keiser & stacy herbert REVEAL WELFARE HYPOCRISY

The Conservatives are being allowed to set the focus of political debate, as we focus on supposed abuse at the bottom of the pile instead of that at the top.

There are wealthy individuals – maybe even cabinet millionaires – claiming more in pension tax relief than the proposed benefit cap. Higher rate tax payers for the 08/09 period cost the treasury £12 billion; and anyone contributing £39,000 to a pension will get £26,000 in relief.

Question to Richard Murphy: May I ask a … a question, Richard? We don’t appear to have a progressive tax system in the UK. As I understand it from http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/, Income tax: Above £7k, 20%. Above £35k, 40%. Above £150k, 50%. OK. (Personal allowance is removed at £100k adding £1.4k tax max. Minor)… National Insurance: Above £7k, 12%. Above £42k, only 2%.

This is an almost flat tax curve. Add in capital gains tax or investment income and the effective tax rates will drop further at the high income end… Why don’t high earners pay National Insurance? Am I wrong to regard it as a tax? Have I got something wrong?

Richard Murphy replies: You’re bang on… but build in VAT and council tax and it’s actually regressive. That’s how bad it really is. And still the 1% say they’re over taxed.

4 thoughts on “max keiser & stacy herbert REVEAL WELFARE HYPOCRISY”

Terrific work!
This sort of thing deserves much more exposure.
I was aware of the top few percent being subsidised by the mass of ordinary taxpayers, but there is a shortage of publicity and a dearth of actual numbers … and £12 bn in tax relief in just one year is quite some figure.

Well done Sue, and of course this could explain the rash of recent articles in the Daily Mail very critical of Workfare and treatment of the disabled, they’re just further distractions from what’s going on at the top end.